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Description  |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to communications systems and, more
particularly, to a technique for integrating the call processing of
incoming calls to a called party associated with both wireless paging and
another wired or wireless communications device possessing full two-way
communications capabilities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of wired and wireless communications devices, each offering a
panoply of capabilities, are available to suit an individual's needs.
Wired communications devices are those which require a signal-conducting
path, other than air, between the communications device and a
communications system, such as a central office switch or private branch
exchange (PBX). The signal-conducting path can take many physical forms,
including a number of different kinds of metallic conductors or optical
fibers. In contrast, wireless communications devices, such as paging and
cellular radio communications devices, utilize the air as the medium to
transport signals to and from the communications system. The distinction
between paging and cellular radio devices resides in their communications
capabilities. Paging devices are portable one-way communications devices
which respond to associated radio signals which are broadcasted while
cellular radio devices provide full two-way communications capabilities.
With a paging device, the reception of a predetermined radio signal
typically activates an audible and/or visual alarm to indicate that the
person carrying the pager should make a call to a predetermined telephone
number to receive a message. Or, in the alternative, the paging device may
have the capability to receive an incoming message which can be displayed.
This message communicates a predefined amount of information which may be
the telephone number of a calling party.
There are many situations where an individual may have a pager as well as a
wired or wireless communications device possessing full two-way
communications capabilities to receive incoming calls. Such situations
include a hospital, manufacturing, education and general office
environments where it is desirable that an individual be notified of
incoming calls independent of whether that individual is in close
proximity to his/her associated full, two-way communications device. In
such situations, it is necessary that a communications system have the
capability of notifying a called party of an incoming call by signalling
any paging device associated with that called party. Present techniques
which provide such signalling broadcast a signal to the paging device
associated with the called party. The shortcoming of this technique is
that a telephone number different from that associated with the called
party must be dialed in order to activate such a broadcast. As a result, a
calling party must dial two different telephone numbers, the first
associated with the called party's wired full two-way or wireless
communications device and then, if the called party does not answer, dials
a second number to alert the called party via his/her paging device. If
the second number is dialed, the calling party must also wait for a return
call from the called party since the paging device cannot provide two-way
communications capabilities. This scenario often results in considerable
telephone tag, i.e., situations where two individuals periodically try to
contact one another and fail because the other person is unavailable.
While the use of cellular communications devices with full two-way
communications devices can alleviate much of the foregoing problems
associated with paging devices, cellular radio devices give rise to a set
of other problems. One such problem is that cellular telephones are
expensive and this expense is not merely that of the portable
communications device but also that of the necessary transceivers which
must be disposed to provide substantially uniform communications coverage
within a given environment. It should be noted in this regard that the
requirements of supporting apparatus associated with two-way cellular
radio devices are considerably more sophisticated than those associated
with paging devices because the former must provide intelligible two-way
communications. Another problem is that the requirements for cellular
two-way radio devices may be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in
certain noisy environments. Still another problem is that the required
radio spectrum to provide cellular radio communications may not be
available in certain environments or geographical areas.
In light of the foregoing, there are still considerable applications for
paging devices and it would be desirable if a scheme could be devised
which would eliminate the problems associated with the use of such
devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, a
communications system, such as a PBX, central office switch and the like,
responds to an incoming call to a called party by signaling a paging
device and some other communications device having communications
capabilities different from that of the paging device. In the disclosed
embodiment, this other communications device is one having two-way voice
communications capability. Additional aspects can also be provided. In the
disclosed embodiment, for example, the paging device is provided with the
capability of signalling the communications system that the called party
will shortly answer the call via a communications device which provides
two-way voice communications. Upon receipt of this signal, the
communications system, if desired, may be also provided with the ability
to provide an announcement to the calling party of the called party's
intent to answer the call. In any event, if the paging device is provided
with the aforementioned ability to transmit a signal to the communications
system, when the called party reaches any two-way voice communications
device connected to the communications system, the incoming call can be
redirected to that two-way device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a block-schematic diagram of an exemplary communications system
incorporating the present invention;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are representations of the translation and status data
respectively stored in the translation and status memories of the system
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a representation of the physical arrangement of an exemplary
wired or wireless communications device possessing full two-way
communications capabilities for use in the communications system of FIG.
1;
FIG. 5 is a representation of the physical arrangement of an exemplary
pager for use in the communications system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a block-schematic diagram of the pager of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a block-schematic diagram of the wired or wireless communications
device of FIG. 4; and
FIGS. 8-11 are flow charts depicting the sequence of operations provided by
call processor 109 of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary application of the present invention wherein PBX
100, for example, and AT&T Definity.RTM. telecommunications system has its
"trunk" side connected to a plurality of trunks 101-1 through 101-N via
trunk interface circuits 111 and its "line" side connected to a plurality
of wired communications devices 102-1 through 102-P and wireless
communications devices 112-1 through 112-Q via line interface circuits 122
and 123, respectively. (Definity is a registered trademark of AT&T). The
trunks connect to an external communications network (not shown) which may
be either a public or private network. Each of the variables P and Q is a
predetermined integer and since a PBX may be designed to be blocking or
nonblocking, the number of trunks, N, is less than or equal to the total
number of wired and wireless communications devices, P+Q. A plurality of
pagers 122-1 through 122-R and a plurality of voice mail systems 132-1
through 132-S are also connected to the line side of PBX 100 via line
interface circuits 124 and 125, respectively. Each voice mail system has
the capability of providing voice announcements to calling parties in
certain circumstances, such as when the called party does not answer. The
mix of wired and wireless communications devices, pagers and voice mail
systems is arbitrary so that the integers P, Q, R and S can each vary to
suit different applications. Furthermore, it should, of course, be
understood that while, in the illustrative embodiment of the present
invention, the wired or wireless communications devices provide full
two-way voice communications capabilities, such devices can also provide a
myriad of other communications functions and may include personal
computers, video terminals, environmental sensing devices, such as smoke
detectors, facsimile machines, etc. The connection between each port on
line interface circuits 122 and 125 to its associated wired communications
device and voice mail system is respectively provided by one of wired
communications links 126 and 129. In similar fashion, the connection
between each port on line interface circuits 123 and 124 to its associated
wireless communications device and pager is respectively provided by one
of the wireless communications links 127 and 128.
Each pager provides signal receiving capability and, pursuant to one aspect
of the present invention, is associated with a respective one of the wired
or wireless communications devices such that an incoming call to such a
wired or wireless communications device will also automatically alert the
pager. Advantageously, this automatic alerting capability can be
automatically disabled when the pager and associated wired or wireless
communications device are in close proximity to one another. In addition,
pursuant to another aspect of the present invention, a pager is provided
with limited transmission capability wherein a called party who is away
from his associated wired or wireless communications device can signal
call processor 109 within control complex 105 of an intent to respond to
the call. Having such an intent, the called party can go to any of the
wired or wireless communications devices 102-1 through 102-P or 112-1
through 112-Q and signal the communications system. In response to this
signal, the call processor will ultimately direct the incoming call to the
wired or wireless communications device from which the called party
signalled.
Each of the wired and wireless communications devices is connected to a
"port" of an associated one of line interface circuits 122 and 123,
respectively. In similar fashion, each of the paging transceivers and
voice mail systems is respectively connected to a port on an associated
one of line interface circuits 124 and 125. Typically, each line interface
circuit has a plurality of ports so that the total number of line
interface circuits is less than the total number of wired and wireless
communications devices, pagers and voice mail systems, i.e., P+Q+R+S.
PBX 100 provides a communications system switching interface for incoming,
outgoing and internal communications. "Incoming" communications are those
which originate within the external communications network and are
destined for at least one of the wired or wireless communications devices.
"Outgoing" communications are those which originate from one of these
communications devices and are destined for some other communications
device within the external communications network (both of the latter not
shown). In FIG. 1, "internal" communications are those which originate
from one of the communications devices and terminate on a different one of
these communications devices. Of course, as is well-known, PBX 100 can be
one PBX in a network of interconnected PBXs and, in such situations,
internal communications can also originate from and terminate on
communications devices in different PBXs in the network of PBXs.
The present invention addresses problems that arise in internal
communications when the called party is associated with both a pager and a
wired or wireless communications device possessing full two-way
communications capabilities. In such a situation in the prior art, to
reach such a called party, a calling party must dial two different
telephone numbers or PBX extensions wherein one number is associated with
the wired or wireless communications device and the other is associated
with the paging device. As will be discussed, the present invention
overcomes this problem by providing communications access to both such
device via a single telephone number or PBX extension. Before describing
how this accomplished, it is first necessary to briefly review the call
processing capability of the PBX for incoming communications.
For any of the foregoing types of communications, signalling information
has to be coupled to the destined communications device. This coupling of
signalling information is through the control complex 105 but the
voice/data communications which follow this signalling transfer is not
coupled to the control complex, but rather is transferred directly between
the trunk interface and line interface circuit by
time-division-multiplexed (TDM) bus 106. Signalling for incoming
communications, received via a trunk and its associated trunk interface
circuit, are routed to control complex 105 via the TDM bus. Within the
control complex, this signalling is serially coupled through processor
interface 107 and M-bus 108 to call processor 109. Processor 109 utilizing
software stored in program memory 110 and specific system information
stored in translation memory 111 and status memory 112, processes the
received dialed digits for the incoming communications to provide
signalling to the destined communications device via its associated line
interface circuit and communications link. This connection to the
associated line interface circuit is provided via M-bus 108, processor
interface 107 and TDM bus 106. Within the associated line interface
circuit, the incoming signalling is routed to the port connected to the
communications link extending to the destined communications device.
Similarly, signalling for outgoing communications is outputted to the
associated communications link and line interface circuit and then is
routed to the control complex via the TDM bus. Within the control complex,
the signalling for outgoing communications is serially routed through
processor interface 107, M-bus 108 and call processor 109. Within the call
processor, the dialed digits are analyzed utilizing software within
program memory 110, specific system information stored in the translation
and status memories and signalling interconnection is provided to one of
the trunks and its associated trunk interface circuit in accordance with a
predetermined routing scheme. This interconnection is provided via the
M-bus, processor interface and TDM bus. Internal communications between at
least two wired or wireless communications devices are processed in much
the same fashion as just described with the call processor determining the
associated line interface circuit associated with the destined
communications device. The signalling connection to and from the call
processor is provided via the TDM bus, processor interface and M-bus. If,
however, the destined communications device in an internal communications
is in another PBX networked with PBX 100, then the call processor routes
the signalling to a preselected trunk and trunk interface circuit via the
M-bus, processor interface and TDM bus. Within the other PBX,
communications services are provided as if the communications originated
within that PBX.
FIG. 2 shows the information in translation memory 111 utilized pursuant to
the present invention. The first item in the translation memory is the
extension number 201. This number is used to identify both the wired or
wireless communications device along with any pager associated with this
extension number. The pager digital code 202 is the digital code word to
which the pager associated with extension number 201 is responsive. A
given pager will be responsive to only one digital code 202 which is
transmitted by a paging transceiver in communications system 100. The line
interface circuit (LIC) number 203 and the port 204 on this LIC are used
to identify the physical location of the communication system port
interfacing the wired or wireless communications device. Name 205 is used
to identify the user's name normally associated with extension number 201.
The communications device type 206 is used to identify the type of
communications device associated with extension number 201, so that the
proper signaling sequence for this communications device can be
implemented. Similarly, the pager type 207 is used to identify the type of
pager so that the proper signaling sequence for this pager can be
implemented. The pager code word 208 is used, for security purposes, to
verify that the proper pager is responding to any page. This pager code
word is automatically transmitted by the pager whenever it transmits
signals to communications system 100. The priority number list 209 is a
list of extensions or users' names to which the pager will respond when
the "priority page" feature, as will be subsequently described, is
activated. Finally, call coverage extension 210 identifies the telephone
number or extension of the communications device to which calls directed
to extension number 201 are forwarded when call coverage, a well-known
feature in communications systems, is activated.
FIG. 3 shows the information in status memory 112 needed to implement the
the present invention. Extension number 301 is analogous to extension
number 201 of FIG. 2. The remainder of the status memory information is
divided into three tables--the call status table 302, the feature status
table 304, and the pager status table 307. Call status table 302 sets
forth a list of entries which indicate whether any one of a predetermined
integer number, N, of simultaneously receivable calls for an extension
number is active or inactive at any given time. These entries are
designated as 303-1 through 303-N. Feature status table 304 includes
entries 305 and 306 which respectively indicate whether the send all calls
and priority page features are active or inactive for an extension number.
Pager status table 307 includes two entries with the first entry 308
indicating whether the pager associated with extension 301 is active or
inactive and the second entry 309 indicating whether the pager is within a
predetermined distance of its associated wired or wireless communications
device. Entry 309 is used, as will be described, to enable or disable a
pager's audible alerting mechanism in response to a page. Specifically,
pursuant to the present invention, this alerting mechanism is deactivated
when the pager is within a predetermined distance of its associated
communications device because an audible alert in such a situation is
unnecessary and irritating to system users.
The physical arrangement of an exemplary wired or wireless communications
device is shown in FIG. 4. The communications device has several lamps and
buttons in addition to the base 408, the key pad 407, and the handset 406.
The send all calls button 402 is used to activate the send all calls
feature which, as is well known, directs all calls from a communications
device to a call coverage communications device and, in accordance with
the present invention, can selectively direct all calls to any pager
associated with a communications device. The send all calls lamp 401 is
used to alert the user of the communications device that the call coverage
feature is active, as such feature activation suspends ringing of the
communications device in response to an incoming call. The send all calls
button 402, with each button depression, toggles between the active and
inactive states of the call coverage feature. The priority page button 404
is used to signal communication system 100 to alert a pager associated
with the wired or wireless communications device only when such
communications device is called by one of a predesignated list of calling
party telephone numbers, extensions or alphanumeric identifiers,
collectively set forth in priority number list 209 in FIG. 2. Priority
page lamp 403 indicates whether this feature is active. The message
waiting lamp 405 alerts the user of a retrievable message, e.g., a voice
mail message. Lamp 405 is typically controlled by a communications system
to be on when there is a message waiting and be off when either there are
no messages to be retrieved or when all such messages have already been
retrieved. The priority page button may advantageously be disposed only on
a pager or may be replicated on both the wired or wireless communications
device and its associated pager.
FIG. 5 shows a typical pager device physical layout pursuant to the present
invention. Paging device 501 includes an alphanumeric display 506 capable
of displaying both the number associated with a calling party as well as
the name or other identifying information of such a party. Paging device
501 also includes a message waiting lamp 504. In lieu of such a lamp, the
function of the message waiting lamp can be provided by an icon which is
selectively activated or illuminated on display 506. The user is alerted
to a new incoming call by one or more audible tones emitted by audio
alerting device 505. When a pager user hears such audible tones, such user
has the option of either activating the will answer feature by depressing
button 502 or activating the send to call coverage feature by depressing
button 503 or not responding to the audible tone. If the will answer
feature is activated, the pager signals that the pager user is going to a
wired or wireless communications device to bridge onto the call. Such
bridging can be provided to the wired or wireless communications device
normally associated with the pager user or can be any wired or wireless
communications device connected to the communications system. Moreover,
the wireless communications device may encompass a well-known "telepoint"
device location, i.e., a location where a base transceiver is disposed for
public use, and which transceiver is designed to communicate with a user's
wireless telephone device. Activation of the send to call coverage feature
indicates that the pager user does not wish to answer the incoming call
and that the predefined call coverage communications device should be
alerted. This call coverage communications device can be any of the other
wired or wireless communications devices connected to system 100.
Advantageously, pursuant to the present invention, an incoming call is
directed to the call coverage communications device when a pager user does
not activate the will answer or send to call coverage feature after a
predetermined time interval has elapsed from the time the pager has been
alerted.
FIG. 6 shows the pager block diagram. Pager controller 617 receives
information from communication system 100 via pager antenna 619, lead 618
and receiver 607 and transmits information to such communications system
via this antenna 619, lead 618 and transmitter 605. In FIG. 6, a single
pager antenna 619 is used and such use is typical of pagers wherein the
transmit and receive radio frequencies are the same or closely spaced. If
substantially different transmit and receive frequencies are used, then
separate receive and transmit antennas can be employed.
Pager controller 617 is connected to display 506 by conductor 602.
Conductor 602 couples calling party number and/or other alphanumeric
information to the display. Audio alerting device 505 of FIG. 5, e.g., a
loud speaker, alerts a pager user of incoming calls and is connected to
the pager controller via conductor 604. The proximity antenna 620 is used
to receive continuously or periodically transmitted, low-power, radio
frequency (RF) signals from the associated wired or wireless
communications device which are then coupled to proximity RF receiver 609
via conductor 621. Such signals can be a variety of types other than
radio, such as infrared or ultrasonic signals. For the latter two types of
signals, antenna 620 would be replaced by an appropriate transducer.
Proximity receiver 609 compares the amplitude of the signals received by
the proximity antenna to a predetermined value to determine if the pager
is within a predetermined distance of its associated wired or wireless
communications device. The results of this determination are coupled via
conductor 610 to the pager controller which selectively activates the
audio alerting device. Specifically, as will be described in further
detail hereinbelow, when the pager is within a predetermined distance of
its associated wired or wireless communications device, the pager
controller does not activate the audio alerting device. The will answer
button 502 and the send to call coverage button 503 are respectively
connected to pager controller 617 by conductors 616 and 614. Similarly,
the pager controller, in response to a message waiting for the associated
wired or wireless communications device, activates message waiting lamp
611 via conductor 612.
The block diagram of the wired or wireless communications device is shown
in FIG. 7. Connection 701 connects digital multiplexer/demultiplexer 702
to the associated LIC port. In the case of a wired communications device,
connection 701 to the associated LIC is a wired one, while in the case of
a wireless communications device, connection 701 is a wireless one to the
wireless communications device transceiver and thence is a wired
connection to the associated LIC port. Digital multiplexer/demultiplexer
702 separates voice or data from the signaling information. Voice
information coupled from the associated line interface circuit port is
provided to audio circuit 710 via conductor 709. Within the audio circuit,
the voice information is amplified and processed and thence coupled
through conductor 711 to handset 712. In similar fashion, audio
information received by the microphone (not shown) within handset 712 is
also coupled by conductor 711 to audio circuit 710.
Feature controller 703 receives signaling information from digital
multiplexer/demultiplexer 702 via conductor 704. The handset switch hook
715 couples information to feature controller 703 as to whether the
handset is on-hook or off-hook via conductor 716. Feature controller 703
also receives information through conductor 706 from the feature buttons
402 and 404 and lamps 401, 403 and 405 of FIG. 4. Message waiting lamp 405
is activated or deactivated by feature controller 703 using signals
coupled through conductor 708. Low-power pager locator signal generator
713 outputs a continuous, low-power signal to antenna 714 which is used by
the pager to deactivate its audio alerting device 505 when the pager and
the associated wired or wireless communications device are within a
predetermined distance of one another.
Refer now to FIGS. 6 and 7. Pager locator signal generator 713, proximity
receiver 609 and pager controller 617 function together to selectively
disable the operation of audio alerting device 505 when the pager is
within a predetermined distance of its associated wired or wireless
communications device. Advantageously, when the pager is within the
predetermined distance of any other wired or wireless communications
device, this disablement does not occur. To provide this selective
disablement, a different digital code is assigned to each pager and its
associated wired or wireless communications device and is used to identify
a pager to such a device. The code word is generated within the wired or
wireless communications device by feature controller 703 and coupled
therefrom via conductor 717 to pager locator signal generator 713.
Generator 713 generates digitally encoded continuous or periodic radio
frequency signals containing the digital code and passes these signals to
antenna 714. These signals are received by a pager via proximity antenna
620 and coupled to power threshold device 623. Device 623 determines if
the received signal generated by pager locator signal generator 713 is
above a predetermined power level which corresponds to the typical power
level when a pager is within the predetermined distance of its associated
wired or wireless communications device. If the received signal level is
less than the predetermined power level, then no action is taken. When
this is not so, the received signal is coupled from the power threshold
device to digital code matcher 624 which determines if the received signal
contains the digital code matching that of the pager and, therefore,
indicating that the received signal emanated from the associated wired or
wireless communications device. If the digital code word in the received
signal matches that of the pager, then a signal is coupled to pager
controller 617 via conductor 610 which causes the controller to send a
signal through conductor 604 which disables the operation of audio
alerting device 505. Of course, the threshold utilized by device 623 could
be adjustable and such adjustment could be made manually by the pager user
or could be done remotely using a signalling protocol received by pager
controller 617 and coupled to power threshold device 623.
The operation of the present invention may be further understood by tracing
the processing of an exemplary incoming call as set forth in the flow
charts of FIGS. 8-11. Such figures describe the operation of call
processor 109 of FIG. 1 in response to an incoming call with the sequence
of call processor operations beginning at start connector 801 of FIG. 8.
In the first operation, designated as step 803, call processor 109 locates
the information in translation memory 111 and status memory 112 associated
with the called number or extension. At step 805, data entry 305 in the
feature status table is examined to determine whether the send all calls
feature is activated. If so, at step 812 the call is sent to call
coverage. From step 812, the sequence of call processing operations next
proceeds to step 816 wherein the existence of call coverage extension
data, designated as data entry 210 in FIG. 2, is determined. If no such
call coverage extension data exists, then it is assumed that the called
number or extension does not have call coverage. If, however, there is
call coverage extension data, then call processor 109 will direct the
application of a ringing signal to this call coverage communications
device for a predetermined number of rings. If there is no call coverage
extension data or if the call coverage communications device is not
answered after the predetermined number of rings, then call processor 109
proceeds to step 818 wherein the call is sent to voice mail. If there is
call coverage extension data and the call coverage communications device
responds within the predetermined number of rings, then call processing
proceeds to step 820 wherein the person answering the call at the call
coverage communications device decides at step 822 whether or not the
pager associated with the called party should be activated. Such
activation can be accomplished by pressing one or more key pad buttons on
the call coverage communications device. If the person at the call
coverage communications device decides not to activate the pager, call
processing proceeds to step 826 wherein the call is sent to voice mail.
Finally, if the person at the call coverage communications device decides
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